


Blood Blooms In The Crystal Glow

by ObsidianCreates



Category: Milo Murphy's Law
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, But right now that's undecided, Chad and Mort show up in the prologue but never again, Character Turned Into Vampire, Hive Mind, If this ends up being Dakavendish I'll update the tags, Later though that's a little bit of a spoiler but ah well, There's a little fighting and blood-drinking but it's not too graphic I promise, This one is a little more serious and less adhering to the tone of the show btw, Vampire Bites, Vampire Turning, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27757111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidianCreates/pseuds/ObsidianCreates
Summary: Cavendish hears about strange glows and lights coming from a particular area of a forest near Danville, and sees a possible opportunity to catch and alien and get that promotion. Dakota, however, is wary of the danger, but Cavendish is too excited to listen and drags him along anyway. But  when they get there, they find something entirely different than they expected... and much more dangerous.One simple adventure changes their lives...forever.
Relationships: Balthazar Cavendish & Vinnie Dakota
Comments: 32
Kudos: 19





	1. Prologue

“I don’t know about this, Chad...”

“Relax, Mort. It’s just some spooky lights in a forest! That could be any kind of paranormal happening.”

“Yeah, that’s the part I’m not sure about. Maybe we should have brought Milo, then if something happens a tree could fall on the monster...”

“We’re just here to take a couple of picture for the blog, as proof! We’ve got our supplies, right?”

“Lemme check... two garlic necklaces, your mom’s silver silverware, a bag of chocolate, extra flashlights...”

“Milo’s not the only one with good backpack packing skills, huh?”

“Alright, you’ve convinced me. How many pictures are we taking?”

“As many as possible before fear gets the better of us.”

“Gotcha.”

...

...

...

“Whoa! I see something!”

“Get a photo!”

“Uh, Chad?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s the plan for red glowing eyes peering at us from the dark abyss of night?”

“What are you- AH! THERE’S SOMETHING GLOWING UNDER THE EYES TOO! Get a picture, get a picture-”

“It’s coming closer!”

“Don’t throw the silverware, my mom will kill me- AHHHHH THROW THE SILVERWARE THROW IT-”

...

...

...

“We... we outran it? Phew...”

“Can’t believe we almost died. I’m gonna need to meditate all day tomorrow to get my energy back the way it’s supposed to be...”

“On the bright side... I think these pics will be a big hit... on the blog. Ugh, I think I’m going to throw up.”

...

...

...

Cavendish sighs as he sits down at the computer. “Oh, there’s been nothing new for _weeks._ What’s even the point checking?” he mutters.

Yet, he checks anyway. Any blog, forum, post, news clipping... _anything_ that might hint to some kind of alien activity.

Nothing, nothing, hoax, driftwood, that one was his and Dakota’s fault, _that_ one was Milo, nothing, nothing-

...

Cavendish raises an eyebrow and clicks the blog page.

_Updated one minute ago_

He gasps.

Now _those_ are some Unidentified Floating Lights! And right in Danville!

He prints out the photos and giggles excitedly. Finally, another chance to get that promotion! Dakota will be thrilled to have a new adventure!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never written Chad and Mort before, sorry if they're a little OOC. They won't show up in the rest, though, it'll be mainly Cav and Dakota!


	2. One Little Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakota isn't happy about Cavendish's plan, but his partner is stubborn. Stubborn, and determined to a fault.

“No, no way we’re doin’ this.”

Cavendish frowns at Dakota. “Why on earth not?”

“Because those are _eyes!_ Last time we faced weird creatures with red eyes, it was the Pistachions, and I do _not_ want to see those again.”

“But we _defeated_ the Pistachions! And look, there’s another glowing item here! It could be the-the core of a _space suit!”  
_

“We don’t have the time machine anymore! We can’t keep gettin’ into dangerous situations, because if something _happens-”_

“Oh, nothing will happen! If two children can get away from this being unscathed, so can we!”

Dakota crosses his arms. “We aren’t going into _spooky woods_ following _mysterious lights_ just for a _promotion._ We find alien stuff all the time.”

Cavendish throws his hand in the air and scowls. “But that’s never worked out! And we haven’t found anything in _weeks!”  
_

“If it never works out, why would we go?!”

“Because this is _different!_ It’s been posted about many times, see? And no-one has been hurt thus far. It could simply be a crashed ship, with wary and frightened alien survivors!”

 _“Or,_ it could be aliens who want to eat us and use our skin as disguises.”

“What is wrong with you today? You are being uncharacteristically pessimistic!”

“It’s one thing when trouble finds _us,_ Cavendish, it’s another when we go _looking_ for it.” 

“Ugh! You are _impossible_ to work with! Lazy snack hound...”

“I’m not being lazy! I’m bein’ _responsible,”_ Dakota says, dragging out the last word and tapping his temple. “You’ve been a little eh... _intense_ about the promotion stuff lately, so one of us has to try and focus on the not-dying.”

He decided not to include his thought of _‘As usual, it’s me.’_

Cavendish crosses his arms. “Fine. Then I shall go investigate it by myself.”

He starts gathering up a backpack. It’ll be a bit of a hike to the area, after all.

Dakota pauses for a moment, confused with the abrupt end of conversation, and then chuckles. “Good one.”

Cavendish keeps packing. Granola bars _with_ cinnamon... or _without..._ hmm...

“Cavendish, come on. You-you’re not actually going out alone, are you?”

The big water bottle, Cavendish thinks, is going to be the best choice... better to have too much water than too little...

“You can’t really be doing this. You-you’ll get hurt! You might _die!_ If you get hurt you won’t have anyone to help you!” Dakota sounds a bit panicked now.

Cavendish grabs a box of band-aids from under the sink. “I can treat my own wounds perfectly well!”

“You really, _really_ cannot.”

Cavendish blanches a little at the implication of that statement, recalling the hundreds of Dakotas...

He shakes his head, and stuffs the band-aids into the backpack. “I shall just have to manage.”

Dakota splutters for a second, gesturing and looking away and back, trying to form an argument Cavendish will listen to.

Then he sighs, and his shoulders slump.

“Alright, alright, I’ll go with you. And you’re letting _me_ pack the snacks, because this spread is just a disaster, what-what even is this snack? It’s just unsalted walnuts, why would we bring _unsalted walnuts-”_

Dakota takes over the snack packing, and Cavendish grins. 

“Huzzah! Trust me Dakota, I can feel it my gut! Today is the day we finally find our proof and get our promotion! Today, our lives finally change, for the _better!”_

Dakota bites his tongue, and just keeps packing.


	3. A Foolhardy Gambit

“So uh, where exactly are we going again?”

Cavendish rubs his chin as he looks at the map. “The circled area is _here,_ and I believe we are... _here?_ Oh, blast it, it all looks the same from down here! Maybe if we can get a bird’s-eye view...”

He goes to start climbing a tree, and Dakota taps his shoulder before he’s even an inch off the ground.

“You’re not good at climbing trees, Cav.”

“Oh, are you _serious?_ How many times could I have possibly-”

“Twelve.”

Cavendish looks up to the top of the tree. It is... _very_ high up.

“On second thought, we’ll just stick with the map as is,” he says, taking a big step away from the tree.

Dakota looks at the map, and makes a grab for it. “Hey, let me try. I’ve had to figure out maps plenty of times.”

Cavendish holds the map away. “What? No! You’ll just lead us back home!”

“Lead us- what are you talking about?”

“You don’t even want to be here.”

“No, I don’t! But I’m here anyway, so we might as well get from _here_ to _there!”_

“I am the one reading the map, and that is final!”

Dakota sighs. “Alright, fine. But when we get lost, I’m taking the map.”

“I won’t give it to you.”

“Then I’ll steal it.”

“You’re not a thief. I’d catch you in the act.”

Dakota shakes his head. “Nuh-uh. Had to learn slight-of-hand and pickpocketing a couple times to save you. I mean, I’m probably a little fusty, it was a couple hundred deaths ago, but I could still pull it off.”

“And where were those skills when we faced that awful gnome-lady?”

“I said pickpocket, not _espionage._ That was a- was a whole different ballgame.”

Cavendish grumps, and looks at the map again as he gets back to walking. “We should be heading in the right direction... of course, it is a rather wide area of sightings, but all in the same _general-”_

Cavendish yelps as he’s grabbed by his tailcoats and yanked back. “Dakota, what are you-!”

He looks up and sees two glowing circles in the shadowiest part of the forest around them, with a similar (yet much bigger) red glow coming from a few inches below them.

He yelps, ducks behind Dakota, and scrambles for his camera.

The glows look up at the sun moving across the sky. The shadows are shifting, angling _away_ from... whatever the creature is.

It blinks, turns, and flees.

“No! Our promotion!”

Without thinking, Cavendish springs up and runs after it.

“WAIT, CAVENDISH- oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me-”

As he runs, Cavendish pulls out a scanner from his suit pocket. He can barely see the glow anymore, the creature possessing _incredible_ speed. A hovercraft, perhaps? Space-and-time bending technology?

However it’s being done, it can’t outrun the scanner. It picks up a strange energy signal from the creature, and locks on. Cavendish laughs happily. He’s really going to catch this thing!

Dakota is doing his best to keep up, but the backpack is slightly weighing him down. “Wait up!”

“We can’t dally, Dakota, our future is going to get away!”

Cavendish somehow manages to avoid tripping (which Dakota is thankful for, _many_ deaths came from Cavendish tripping while chasing something). Though the creature has long escaped his sight, it hasn’t escaped his _scanner._

In fact, the energy signal is getting... _significantly_ stronger...

It takes quite a while longer than Cavendish thought it would. But eventually, sweaty and panting and even shaking from how exhausted he is, he finds the source of the signal.

He stares at it, wide-eyed, as he struggles to catch his breath.

Dakota comes out of the woods behind him a moment later, in a similar state of exhaustion. As soon as he stop he folds over, putting his hands on his knees and hanging his head as he pants for air. “What... the _heck..._ was that... ugh, I don’t feel good... you can’t take off... without _warning...”_

“Dakota,” Cavendish breathes. “Look.”

Dakota takes a deep breath, and lifts his head a bit.

His eyes go wide as saucers.

He stands up to get a better look.

A mansion stands before them. An old, shabby mansion. Ivy and vines cover the outside, blocking out the windows and creeping into cracks in the walls. Where glass _should_ be able to be seen, there’s _years_ worth of dirt and _muck_ caked on, obscuring any use windows might once have had.

The house creaks as a wind blows through the trees. Cavendish has to hold his hat down, and Dakota shivers.

It’s oddly cold here. Much colder than the rest of the forest.

The house, gray and stone and so very _ancient_ seeming, looks down at them. Looks down _on_ them. 

Dakota feels like he’s being watched.

“We’re turning back,” he says, still wheezing a bit. 

Cavendish looks terrified, and begins to nod-

The scanner begins beeping _wildly._

Cavendish jumps, yelping. Then he flushes with embarrassment, though Dakota is too busy looking around for _observers_ to make any comments.

Cavendish checks the scanner. And he sucks in a shocked breath.

The strange, non-natural energy in that place is _huge._ Powerful, and _undeniable._

Even to Bob Block.

He stashes the scanner, and fixes his hat.

Dakota notices out of the corner of his eye. “Wait, Cavendish, don’t-”

Cavendish runs inside. “Come on, Dakota! There’s something alien in there, and we are going to find it!”

Dakota tries to grab him, but Cavendish’s determination seems to have let him recover twice as fast.

So Dakota does the only thing he can do.

He chases after Cavendish.

And they both race into the halls of the mansion.


	4. Too Late To Go Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entering the mansion, Dakota and Cavendish find it to be abandoned and decrepit. But the halls are a maze, and soon they realize there's no turning back.

Dakota sneezes _again_ , and shouts as he walks through yet _another_ cobweb. He pats a few dust bunnies out of his hair while frowning. “I don’t think we’re gonna find anything _high-techy_ and _alien-y_ in here.”

“The scanner says we will,” Cavendish states with confidence. “I can almost taste it, Dakota! Promotion! Praise! Finally being recognized for our true worth!”

“Look, I’m not saying that doesn’t sound nice, but this place gives me the creeps. Don’t you feel like we’re being watched?”

“We’ve been walking for twenty minutes, surely if something was _actually_ observing us it would have done something by now.”

“So you _do_ get that feeling?”

Cavendish pauses for a moment. “... Well, it’s not like that’s unexpected. Old, creepy buildings usually have that effect, don’t they?”

“Yeah, but we found _this_ old creepy building by following some mysterious glowy-eyed creature through an also-creepy forest.”

Cavendish doesn’t reply, not actually having a rebuttal for that. Instead he checks the scanner again. “Blast, I can’t make out where it’s trying to lead us. This place is built like a Labyrinth.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been leaving a trail or wrappers behind us so we can find the way out.”

“Oh, that’s very clever of y- hang on, does that mean you’ve eaten all the snacks?”

Dakota shakes his head slowly. “No, no, no! Just most of them.”

Cavendish slaps his own face and drags his hand down. “Ugh. Let’s just keep moving... this place looked much smaller from the outside. Oh, perhaps it’s alien technology!”

“Wish they had an alien _cleaner,_ bleh! Just got a cobweb in my _mouth!”  
_

“Oh, please. That’s hardly the most disgusting thing you’ve eaten. You’ll probably eat something just as disgusting _later today,_ if I know you.”

“And you’ll be payin’ for it.”

“Buh.”

They keep moving, deeper and deeper into the mansion. Dakota gets quieter and quieter, save for the crunching of snacks and crinkle of wrappers.

“Would you please stop that incessant snacking?” Cavendish hisses, keeping quiet. For some reason, it feels _unsafe_ to speak at a normal volume.

“I’m a stress eater,” Dakota whispers back, shoving trail mix into his mouth.

The house twists and turns, corner and dead-ends and loops, every hall looking the same, every room eerily similar, some locked from the inside, some locked from the _outside_...

Yet they keep going.

Further in... _further in..._

“It’s f-frightfully cold in-in here, is-isn’t it?” Cavendish whispers as softly as he can. He rubs his arms, teeth chattering.

Dakota breathes out, and watches the breath cloud until it dissipates. “At least it’s not-not like the Himalayas. My-my sideburn froze off.”

“I-I remember. Oh, the cold is-is dreadful. I do hope we-we get used to it soon.”

Further in... **_further in..._**

They both stop. Dakota shines a flashlight at a pitch-black doorway before them.

A staircase. Leading _down._

Dakota shakes his head. “Nope. We’re done with this. Come on, we’ll just turn around and follow the trail of- oh, no...”

Cavendish turns to see what has Dakota distraught. He looks around for a moment, confused.

And then Dakota points at the floor.

Cavendish looks down, and lightly gasps.

No wrappers.

As far as the flashlight shines, _no wrappers._

... No trail out.

Dakota walks to the end of the hall before the corner (which is not far at all) and peers around the corner’s edge.

“... No wrappers there either,” he whispers. He walks back, and eyes the stairs. “... Maybe there’s a basement door?”

Cavendish swallows. “Well... I suppose we have no choice but to push on, then,” he says, sounding _completely unconfident._ He lost his zeal for this adventure about _twenty turns in the path_ ago, but by then it was too late to admit defeat. And it still is.

Dakota nods. “Should you stay behind me, or in front?”

“... It appears wide enough too walk side-by-side.”

Dakota nods, and they descend. He tosses one last wrapper on the ground behind them.

Something picks it up.


	5. The Truth Of The Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cavendish and Dakota find the source of the strange energy signal, and discover what the sightings have truly been caused by all along...

The stairs creak horribly beneath their feet, like they’ll snap at any moment. Dakota keeps looking behind them with wary eyes as Cavendish follows the scanner.

“I... think we may be heading towards the _epicenter_ of the energy readings,” Cavendish mutters.

“Oh. Well that doesn’t sound good.”

Cavendish shivers, the feeling of being watched increasing with every step further in. “I’m inclined to agree.”

“... So... this a bad time for an ‘I told you so’?”

Cavendish looks back at Dakota and glares. _“Dreadful_ time.”

“Alright, gotcha. ... Told ya so.”

_“Dakota.”  
_

“Just trying to lighten the mood.”

“Well, unless you can lighten the _actual room,_ keep quiet for now. Every word feels like we’re breaking a rule of some kind.”

Dakota stops talking. Because Cavendish is _right._

Talking... feels... _bad._ Like at a library, but... more intense.

The staircase winds down, down, down, darker and darker, colder and colder...

And then it stops. 

It leads to a short, twisty hallway.

As Cavendish and Dakota walk through it, their steps echo loudly.

The walls are stone brick. They’re _damp._ The floor is stone, _natural_ stone, like this basement was dug out but never finished.

They feel like intruders. They _are_ intruders. 

Observed intruders. 

They both feel it. _Eyes. Watching._

Dakota holds the backpack tighter.

After what feels like hours, yet also quicker thank either of them are ready for, they come to the final turn of the hall.

The wall in front of them is bathed in a soft red light. A _familiar_ red light.

They share a nervous glance... and walk into the room.

Cavendish drops the scanner, eyes going wide and mouth falling agape. Dakota stares, in a similar state to his partner.

A _gigantic_ crystal sits before them, reaching up _far_ above their heads. It emanates a red glow, the only light illuminating the room. It’s not flat, but somewhat _layered,_ with some layers as spikes, some more like _steps,_ some more like tiny shards...

And it takes up the whole back wall.

“No doors,” Dakota croaks out.

“But we found the energy source,” Cavendish says, nervous and shaky, but trying to find _something_ to cling onto. “What is it? Do you think it might have a connection with... well, that _thing_ in the forest had a similar glow, perhaps it came from he-”

Something grabs Dakota’s backpack.

Dakota tears away with a shout, stumbling into thee room and turning around. Cavendish jumps, whirling around as well.

The _figure_ stares at Dakota with glowing red eyes. 

A necklace dangles from their neck, a piece of some kind of gray metal in a sort of rectangular shape. And at the top, a _piece of the crystal,_ a perfectly round gem, _glowing._

“Yeah, I think they’re connected,” Dakota says with a bit of shakiness to his voice. He shrugs off thee backpack and starts digging through it, as Cavendish keeps his eyes on the person/alien/creature/ _whatever it is._

“What are you do- _what?!”_

Cavendish stares as Dakota fishes out a hefty paperweight. He hands it to Cavendish, and then grabs an identical one for himself. 

Cavendish gapes. “You brought _paperweights?!”_

Dakota raises his and looks at the glowing-eyed figure. “We don’t have any real weapons in the office! Besides, it’s just one person, we can-”

More figures filter in, all with glowing red eyes and identical necklaces. 

Cavendish takes a few more steps back, shaking a bit. “Oh, _bullocks.”_

The figures open their mouths, revealing dagger-sharp fangs, and _hiss._

Dakota tightens his grip on the paperweight, and suddenly wishes he’d brought something _not for close range._ “Cav? I don’t think it’s aliens.”


	6. One Way Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakota and Cavendish have no choice but to fight their way out of the room, through the horde of vampires. 
> 
> Blood tw, fighting tw, major injury tw.

The vampires rush at them, fangs barred.

Dakota immediately steps in front of Cavendish and gets ready to fight.

He swings his paperweight with all his might at the first vampire who gets near. It hits them _right in the face._ They scream as a fang _flies_ out of their mouth, broken right off. They stumble back, holding their bloody mouth...

And mere moments later they lower their hand again, barring _two fangs,_ no gap in sight. It’s _healed._

Dakota blinks. “Well, that’s no good.”

He stays in front of Cavendish, backing up and swinging the weight as the vampires close in.

Cavendish looks behind them, desperately trying to spot an exit, but other than the stone walls the only thing in the room is that _stupid glowing_ _crystal._

He jolts as Dakota shouts, and finds his partner suddenly torn away.

One vampire is pining Dakota’s arms to his sides as another is _leaning in to bite._

Cavendish does the first thing he can think of. He throws his paperweight.

It hits the vampire restraining Dakota, smack-dab in the forehead. They crumple, and Dakota quickly uses his own paperweight to hit the vampire trying to bite him.

Cavendish grabs Dakota’s hand and pulls him back to his side. “What do we do? We’re completely outnumbered!”

“Try to get to the exit, it’s the only thing we _can_ do!”

“They’re sure to have ruined your wrapper trail!”

“We’ll find a window or something! I’m not gonna let you die in a _vampire basement!”_

Dakota makes a dive for Cavendish’s paperweight, still on the ground, and they begin trying to clear a path. 

There’s maybe a dozen vampires, possibly more in the house above, but this room will only hold so many.

It will hold enough to pose a _serious problem._ Even with the paperweights, the vampires heal faster than Cavendish and Dakota can take them out.

“Do we have a marker?” Cavendish shouts above the hissing, him and Dakota having been pushed back _again_ by the horde.

“”Why do we need a marker?!”

“I want to try something!”

“I don’t know, check the bag!”

Cavendish rifles through the bag while Dakota covers him, and pulls out a single permanent marker.

He holds up the paperweight, and draws a cross on it.

“Please let this work, please let this work-”

He holds up the drawn-on cross to a vampire about to make a grab for him. The vampire stumbles away, eyes wide with fear.

“Huzzah! Dakota, it works, the cross myth is true! Quickly, draw one on your-”

The marker is forcibly ripped from Cavendish’s hand by one extra-brave vampire. It’s thrown across the room,and lands on one of the tallest layers of the crystal.

“... Oh heavens,” Cavendish whimpers.

“We still got one! Just hold it out and maybe they’ll clear a path! AHG!” Dakota manages to knock another vampire in the head just before they sink their fangs into his arm.

Cavendish holds the paperweight out, cross facing forward. He and Dakota begin to move, slowing pushing their way to the door.

Vampires move out of the way, rushing to avoid being touched by the simple symbol. Cavendish laughs slightly in relief. “We’re going to make it!”

He ends up moving _in front_ of Dakota, as the vampires keep trying to attack him from behind. Dakota swings his paperweight at any vampire who gets near, temporarily knocking them out of the fight long enough to make a little bit of progress.

The opening is right ahead of them. They’re almost there, _almost there-_

“AHH!”

Cavendish whips around just in time to see Dakota yanked into the crowd.

“DAKOTA!”

Dakota looks at Cavendish and shouts to him just before being lost on the sea of undead. “JUST RUN!”

Cavendish hesitates, almost diving in after. And then a vampire tries to grab his arm.

He yelps and makes a mad dash for the doorway, closing his eyes and wildly swinging his paperweight-cross. He hears sizzling whenever it makes contact with a body, and there’s always screaming soon to follow.

He makes it to the doorway. He turns, and looks out into the room. “DAKOTA!”

He keeps his only protection held in front of him, moving it as quickly as his eyes as he scans the room for his partner.

He spots Dakota near the back, his jacket sleeve torn and his sunglasses askew. Dakota is scowling like Cavendish has never seen before, trying his best to keep the vampires off of him.

As Dakota is focused on one, another grabs him by the collar.

“DAKOTA, LOOK OUT-!”

Dakota screams as he’s _flung_ away. Cavendish watches as Dakota slams against the horrible crystal wall, as there’s a blood-chilling _crack,_ and as Dakota goes limp. He falls to the ground like a ragdoll, and a vampire leans down to pick him up, to-

Cavendish spots the scanner on the ground just a bit away, right where he’d dropped it at the start of this whole debacle.

He picks it up, and throws it with as much might and accuracy as he can.

It sails through the air, above the heads of the vampires...

And like a _miracle,_ it hits the one crouched over Dakota. The vampire crumples.

Cavendish can’t even _see_ his partner, but as the vampires move he sometimes spots flashes of orange on the ground, _right at the back._

He whimpers, and then takes a deep breath and puffs out his chest. “You’ve _got this,_ Balthazar! Vinnie Dakota has never let you die before, and you’re finally going to return the favor!”

He goes back in, clearing a path with his paperweight with the hastily scribbled cross. It’s all that stands between him and a bloodless grave, and he is all too aware of that.

But it’s also all that stands between _Dakota_ and a bloodless grave.

He finally makes his way to his partner. He sweeps up Dakota _and_ the scanner in one movement, and gets moving toward the exit again.

Dakota groans from his spot slung over Cavendish’s shoulder. “Wha... wha happ’n...”

“Everything’s going to be quite alright! No need to worry!” Cavendish says frantically with panic dripping from his voice.

He makes it to the end of the room, and just as he steps out a vampire tries to grab Dakota again by the arms.

Cavendish turns and swings his paperweight once more, but this time in his panic it falls right out of his hands after impact. He almost goes to retrieve it, but it falls _right in the center_ of the doorway. The vampires all back away, hissing and spitting.

They’re _trapped._ For now, at least.

Cavendish decides to get moving, hoping this will _at least_ give him and Dakota a head-start.

He runs up the stairs. The still-limp-yet-somewhat-awake Dakota groans as he’s subjected to a bit of running-turbulence.

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” Cavendish apologizes with each step, just blindly panicking and letting his mouth run on autopilot.

“M’ head hurts,” Dakota slurs out.

Cavendish only half-registers the words. “Sorry! I am so sorry!”

They make it up the stairs, and Cavendish rushes to the first door he sees. Locked.

He quickly sets Dakota down, and slams against the door as hard as he can with his shoulder. It swings open, accompanied by a cracking sound.

He drags Dakota inside, slams the door shit, and slides against it to the ground. He pants, catching his breath. After a moment he leans his head against the door, looking up.

He sees a cross above the doorway.

He stands, grabs it, and drives it into a gap in the floorboards right in front of the door.

“There,” he breathes. “No way for them to get in. We can... we can rest a moment.”

Dakota groans again. “Cav, wha...”

“Now now Dakota, just-just rest up a moment, and then we can be on our way,” Cavendish assures. He spots a chair in the corner, and moves Dakota into it. “There. Better, I-I hope.”

Dakota winces as he’s set down. “Head hurts... ev’rythin’ hurts...”

It’s no surprise. Cavendish is _sure_ that crystal _cracked_ when Dakota was thrown into it. He hopes it was the crystal, at least. Oh, god does he hope it was the crystal. 

“Um, let me...”

Cavendish grabs the backpack and digs through it. He finds an aspirin packet and the water bottle, right at the bottom. “Why did you bring aspirin?”

“Bad shoes,” Dakota mumbles.

“But you wear running-”

Dakota shakes his head a little, and points weakly at Cavendish’s.

“... Oh.”

It’s true, his shoes _aren’t_ the best for running and hiking. And now that he’s resting, and the adrenaline is wearing off, they _are_ rather sore...

He shakes his head. Sore feet is _not_ more important than making sure Dakota recovers, at least somewhat. “Here. Sit up and take these.”

He helps Dakota gets the pills down. Dakota blinks cloudy, bleary eyes at him. But, the pupils _do_ dilateat least... so probably no concussion, then...

That’s why Cavendish lets Dakota fall asleep a moment later.

Cavendish sighs, and takes inventory. He’s still got the scanner, at least, and they still have the backpack. Even if it’s mostly empty by now... and no more weapons, save for that cross in front of the door.

...

But Dakota is alright, at least. That’s something.

...

Normally, Cavendish would be celebrating how heroic he’d just been. How _brave,_ how _selfless._

...

But right now, he’s just _worried._ Dakota is hurt (probably pretty severely), they’re low on supplies, he’s not sure how long it’ll take for those vampires below to get out and seek revenge, and they’re _still in the vampire’s own mansion._

...

The celebration will have to wait until they escape.

...

Cavendish recalls the twisting, confusing, basically _maze_ out there, and swallows.

 _If_ they can escape.


	7. Not Even Out Of The Frying Pan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Dakota wakes up, things quickly become tense between him and Cavendish. Fueled by their current situation, and other factors far beeyond their control, the two get into a fight that ends with a bone-chilling realization.

Cavendish scours the room for more crosses. He finds _one_ tiny one, buried in the ashes in the fireplace. He briefly wonders if it used to belong to one of the vampires.

The chain is still in tact, though. He puts it around his neck, and tucks it into his vest to hopefully avoid damaging it when not using it. The chain isn’t very long, so it sticks out a tiny bit, but Cavendish thinks it’s better that way. He can yank it into view quickly if need be.

He tries to find another, but no luck. Ah well. Dakota can have the large one by the door, when they eventually leave. 

When he eventually wakes.

... Cavendish goes back to looking for things. He needs to be busy.

And then finally, after what _feels_ like far too long (but is really less than half an hour), he hears Dakota groan.

He turns and sees Dakota sitting up, hand on his head. “Mmph... did we crash th’ car again?”

Cavendish feels a moment of panic. “We don’t have the time car anymore, remember?”

“... Oh yeah.” Dakota rubs his head. “So why’s my head splitting?”

Cavendish walks closer, making the floorboard creak rather loudly, and Dakota winces. “You were injured fighting the vampires. They tosses you into a wall.”

Dakota pauses rubbing his head, and his hand goes to his neck. “... Oh. Right. _That._ Wait, but how did we get _here,_ then? How am I not vampire chow?”

Cavendish puffs up slightly with pride. “I rescued you.”

“You- I was on the other end of the room.”

“I ran back in to save you.”

Dakota’s eyes go wide. “You _what?”_

“Well, I couldn’t possibly leave you there-”

“I told you to run!”

Cavendish frowns. “Why aren’t you happy? You’re _alive,_ for Pete’s sake.”

“But _you_ could have _died!”_

“But I didn’t!”

“But you _could have!_ What’s the point if we _both_ die?!”

“I cannot believe- you are being _terribly_ ungrateful!”

Dakota stares at Cavendish. “ _I’m_ being ungrateful? You almost got yourself _killed,_ you almost threw away all those times I saved you! You’re the one who _needs to live,_ okay?!”

“Well-well I never _asked_ you to save me!”

Dakota stands up. “Yeah, clearly, you don’t care! You do stupid, life-risking stuff all the time, even after you found out about the island!”

“I’m not going to just sit in a boring _room_ my whole life until old age takes me!”

“But you’re _always_ going after dangerous stuff! The aliens, the artifacts, _this entire situation is your fault!”_

Cavendish steps back, shocked. He’s never seen Dakota so-so _heatedly upset_ before. 

“I was _trying_ to get us a promotion!”

“There’s no point to a promotion _if you’re dead!”_

“You were on board with this-”

“I wasn’t! At all! I told you that it wasn’t a good idea, but you _manipulated_ me into coming anyway!”

“Why are you _yelling?!_ You never yell!”

“Because I’m _mad!_ You never listen to me, and then when something goes wrong, you _blame me_ even if I didn’t do anything, or if I _tried to stop it!”_

“I do not!”

“You just _did!”_

“That-” Cavendish holds his finger up to make a point, and then lowers it. “... Alright, you have a point. But that is _one instance.”_

“How about crashing the time car into that school? You got mad at me for that even though I tried to help you out!”

“Dakota, I don’t know what’s gotten into to make you act like this-”

Dakota laughs harshly, and Cavendish backs away again. Oh dear. They’ve _never_ had a fight _this_ bad, and Dakota is... clearly not handling it well.

“I _almost died_ because _you_ wanted to investigate something dangerous! And when I tried to tell you not to, you _made me come with you anyway!_ Now we might _both die,_ and then what? Then what’s everything been for, if we just end up drained of _blood_ and _buried_ in this creepy forest? That’s not worth a FREAKING PROMOTION, CAVENDISH!”

Cavendish backs away again. He bumps against the side wall of the room, opposite to Dakota. “Okay, Vinne, perhaps we need to _calm down,_ I think your head injury might be making your logic a little _faulty-”_

Dakota huffs incredulously. “You did it _again!_ You’re always looking down on me! You think I’m _stupid,_ but I’m the only one between the two of us who hasn’t _died!”_

Cavendish feels a pang of-of some kind of emotional _hurt_ in his chest. “That’s _not_ fair to bring up! I only died because I _take risks!_ I _take chances!_ All you do is eat snacks and try to find the _easy way out-”_

“BECAUSE THE HARD WAY OUT ALWAYS GETS YOU KILLED!”

Dakota is starting to walk closer as he shouts. Cavendish has no idea what to do. He didn’t even _know_ Dakota was capable of level of anger. Or _any_ feeling, really, unless it’s excitement about the zoo.

“Vinne, we might have let this blow out of proportion-”

“No, no, we haven’t! This is how it’s been for _years,_ and I’ve been _patient_ about it to make _you_ happy, but it’ll never make you happy, will it? _Nothing_ will EVER make you happy, and I’m betting that promotion _still_ won’t make you happy!”

“Of course it will, it’s _important,_ we’ll be recognized as _heroes-”_

Dakota has gotten so close _so fast._ He grabs Cavendish by the shoulders.

“YOU! ARE! MORE! IMPORTANT! THAN! A PROMOTION! WHY CAN’T YOU GET IT THROUGH YOUR SKULL?! I BROKE THE LAW _HUNDREDS OF TIME_ FOR _YOU,_ NOT SOME STUPID PROMOTION! _STOP RISKING YOUR LIFE!”_

Cavendish shouts as Dakota shakes him while yelling. “But-but we deserve better than _trash duty_ and _busywork-”_

“MAYBE WE BELONG THERE! MAYBE IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP YOU FROM _RUNNING OFF AND DYING!_ MAYBE YOU SHOULD _GIVE UP AND JUST BE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE’VE GOT!”_

Cavendish is about to retort, but as he opens his mouth he falls silent. His eyes widen in horror, and his blood runs cold in his veins.

Dakota’s sunglasses have slipped down his nose. Cavendish can see his eyes.

Dakota’s _red eyes._

He stares, horror and denial and sorrow and _fear_ all running through him at once.

Dakota is snarling. But there’s no fangs, at least, no fangs, maybe iit’s a trick of the light, maybe it’s-

Cavendish glances at Dakota’s neck.

On one side, there’s a normal cut. Long, thin, barely bleeding.

On the other...

...

Two pinpricks. He hadn’t noticed them earlier, he was so _panicked_ and _busy-_

“Dakota, unhand me,” Cavendish says weakly.

“Why? So you can ignore the problems?” Dakota hisses, and his eyes _are_ red, red as _blood-_

“Dakota, you-you’re going to _hurt_ me-”

Dakota’s eyes widen now, shocked, but then _infuriated._

“Why would you say that?”

“Your _eyes-”_

“Why would you say that?!”

“Dakota-!”

“All I _ever do_ is keep you from getting hurt! My whole _life_ is making sure _you_ are not _actively dying!_ So _WHY-”_

Dakota- if it still _is_ Dakota, somehow- thumps Cavendish against the wall. Not so hard it hurts, but it makes Cavendish shout fearfully.

_“WOULD-’  
_

Thump.

_“YOU-”  
_

_Thump._

_“SAY THAT!”_

_**Thump.** _

The cross around Cavendish’s neck is jostled out of his vest, now in full view.

Dakota _reels_ back, eyes wide and _terrified,_ and Cavendish wastes no time. He _dives_ for the cross by the door, putting it between himself and his partner.

Dakota stands still for a second, panting, eyes still red.

And then after a moment, the red fades. Dakota’s terror turns to _confusion._

And then horror.

He tucks his hands under his. “What just- what just happened?” he croaks.

Cavendish stays by the cross, eyes fixed on Dakota. He’s keeping himself tucked up, sitting on the floor, like the cross is a shield he needs to take cover under.

Dakota looks at Cavendish, crying a little. “I-I didn’t mean that, Cav. I really didn’t mean it, I-I don’t know what came over me. I like how ambitious you are, I _do,_ it can just be a little frustrating sometimes. I didn’t...”

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened, I’m _sorry._ I didn’t- I didn’t _hurt you,_ did I?”

Cavendish rubs the back of his head. It’s a little sore, but nothing that will _last._

But Dakota doesn’t know that, of course. “I- oh man, I didn’t- here, let me help you up-”

He reaches for Cavendish, and his hand brushes the cross.

He jerks it back, hissing in pain and rubbing his hand. 

But, Cavendish notes, still no fangs. 

Dakota stops holding his own hand, and terrified realization begins to dawn on his face.

He looks down, and shakes his head.

He reaches to help Cavendish up _again,_ and _again_ his hand brushes against the cross-

He yanks it back just like before, and this time Cavendish sees a little red mark. Not quite like a _burn,_ but still a _mark._

Dakota looks at his hand. Looks at the mark.

Both of his hands start to shake.

“Cav? What’s-what’s happening to me?”

Cavendish swallows. “Dakota...” 

“I-I think you were _bitten.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't proofread this one. I apologize if that's obvious at any point.


	8. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they know Dakota has been bitten, Cavendish and Dakota need to figure out what to do.

Dakota shoves snacks into his mouth as fast as he can, pacing the floor.

“You’re going to make yourself sick,” Cavendish lightly scolds. He’s moved out from behind the cross, but he keeps the one around his neck in plain sight. Just in case.

“I’m a stress eater,” Dakota reminds him through a mouth full of food. He almost gags when he realizes what that might translate to when- when-

He shoves more snacks into his mouth and tries to ignore that horrible thought.

“You don’t have fangs,” Cavendish offers weakly. “Perhaps it’s... just a minor issue? Just a small effect on your mood?”

“Sure, minor issue. _Or_ it just takes a while,” Dakota says, grabbing another snack from the bag. The floor is littered in wrappers. “Has there ever been a story where a _vampire bite_ is _no big deal?”_

Cavendish rubs his neck, thinking about being _in the room_ with Dakota when- no, no, _if,_ it might only be an _if-_ something... happens. 

“I _can’t_ be a vampire,” Dakota says with a mouth full of chips. “What about sunshine? And garlic, wh-what the heck am I supposed to do if I can’t have garlic? And _reflections,_ I know I’m not _stylish_ but I still like to know how I look _sometimes-”_

He’s avoiding thinking about a certain topic, obviously. Cavendish doesn’t blame him. 

Cavendish rubs his hands together. “What do we do _now?_ I-I suppose when we escape we could try to switch to the night shift, but diet will _still_ prove an issue-”

Dakota pauses his snacking, and grimaces. “Cav... I don’t know if _we_ can escape.”

“Oh, don’t be such a downer, of course we can. We-we have our _wits,_ and our memories are plenty sharp-”

“No, no, I mean... I mean I don’t think we can escape _together.”_

“... What are you talking about?”

“I can’t _live with you_ if I’m going to become a _vampire!_ I don’t wanna-”

Dakota chokes on the words, a horrible image of a frightened Cavendish scrambling away from him flashing in his mind.

“Wha- so what would you do, then?” Cav’s tone is slightly annoyed, but only because annoyance is more _comfortable_ than the deep worry he feels.

Dakota shrugs, not meeting Cavendish’s eyes.

Cavendish’s eyes widen with realization. “You can’t think you would _stay here!”_

“Well, I can’t go back to town!”

“But how would staying here help either of us at all?! You’d still be a vampire, but a _lonely_ one, stuck with all these-these _monster_ ones around you!”

“Well what else could I do?! We just talked about how I don’t want you in danger, but _I would be the danger!”_

“We’ll figure out _something,_ I know we will, and we can ask Block for some time off to-”

Cavendish pauses. He furrows his brows, and idea forming.

“... Cav?”

“Bob Block... of course!”

Cavendish springs up. “Dakota, that’s it! The _Paranormal Investigation Group!_ We may work in the extraterrestrial department, but if vampires exist then they _must_ know about them! And if they know about them, they must have a _cure!”_

Dakota itches his neck (not the side with the bite, the side with the normal scratch). “I don’t know, that kinda seems like a big jump to conclusions...”

Cavendish smacks his fist into his palm, looking up at seemingly nothing. “We’re going to get out of here, inform Block of your condition, and get you back to normal!”

“We don’t even know how long I _have_ until I start wanting blo-”

“Then we shall just have to be fast! And I have this cross necklace, so even if... well, I have _self-defense,_ is the point!”

“You’re putting yourself in a dangerous situation again-”

“Dakota.” Cavendish puts both his hands on his partner’s shoulders, and looks him in the eyes. “I am _not_ leaving you behind.”

Dakota is suddenly glad for the rather dim lighting, because he’s pretty sure he’s blushing _quite_ intensely.

Cavendish doesn’t seem to notice, turning around to face the door. “We should go out now, so we can get a head-start. Just let me-”

He tries to pull the cross out of the floorboards. He tugs and tugs, but no luck. “Oh, dear... I think I got it stuck. Well, we still have this mini-cross, at least.”

Cavendish opens the door, and takes a deep breath. 

He grabs Dakota’s hand and drags him out of the room.


	9. Adding Oil To The Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They knew it wouldn't be easy, but Dakota and Cavendish had hoped they could have _some_ chance to make progress with little worry. But instead, they get more reasons to worry, and even more questions.

Dakota stumbles a little as he’s dragged along behind Cavendish. “Do we even know where we’re _going?”_

“I _believe_ I recognize this hallway,” Cavendish says, pausing and looking around. “Yes, I think we saw that wallpaper tear before...”

“We’ve seen that exact kind of tear three times, and we’re not even that far away from the room,” Dakota points out. He rubs his neck, wincing. “Ugh, do we have any more painkiller? My neck is really sore...”

“Which side?”

“Huh?”

“Is it the side with the bite, or the side with the scratch?”

“What scratch?”

“The scratch on your neck! You were itching at it earlier!”

“I was?”

“Yes! It’s a long, thin scratch on your neck! Right there!”

Dakota pats the area in question, confused. “How did that happen?”

“Oh, I don’t know, probably when you were _thrown against the crystal with spikes all over it!”_

“Oh. ... Yeah, that makes sense. Uh, not that side, though. That side just kinda itches, or goes numb.”

“Goes _numb?”_

“Not _numb-_ numb. Just... weird. I don’t know. Maybe since I got it right before being bitten it’s infected, but not. Or something weird like that.”

“Hmm... let me see it.”

Cavendish examines the small cut. He goes to touch the area around it, check for sensitivity and possible infection. After a few seconds, he realizes something.

His mustache droops with slight fear, and he swallows. “Your um. Your skin is quite cold, around your neck.”

“... Are you sure it’s not just how cold this house is?” 

Cavendish shakes his head. 

“... But... just my neck, right?”

Cavendish puts his hand on Dakota’s forehead. “... Yes, just your neck. Your forehead is _quite_ warm, actually. Oh dear, you don’t have a _fever,_ do you? Do you think that’s part of the, ah... _process?”_

Dakota, who is slightly _flushed,_ one might even say _blushy,_ shakes his head. “Probably not.”

Cavendish sighs. “This is ridiculous. We don’t have a _clue_ what’s going to happen with you during all this. Oh, I wish we had a _guidebook._ I should ask for one when we get home-”

Dakota shouts, grabbing Cavendish and pulling him behind him. Cavendish splutters, completely unprepared, but his surprise melts away when he sees that Dakota snatched him right from the outstretched hands of a vampire.

The vampire stares at them, mouth slightly open, expression unreadable.

Dakota has his hands out to his sides. He’s put himself between the vampire and Cavendish.

“What are you doing?” Cavendish whispers.

“I’m already bit, right? So it won’t try again, probably.”

The vampire hisses.

“Hey uh... we’re just passin’ through, heh heh. Um, you guys don’t happen to have a map or anything...”

The vampire doesn’t respond.

“... Can you guys not talk, is that like a-a vampire thing? Or is it like a choice-”

The vampire reaches out to try and grab Dakota. Dakota shouts, taking a step back and tumbling backwards as he trips over the crouching Cavendish.

The vampire leaps onto Dakota, and starts pulling something out of it’s pocket. Something glowing.

Cavendish acts fast. He _yanks_ the vampire off of Dakota, and then jumps in front of his partner and holds out the tiny cross in his shaking hands.

The vampire’s eyes widen, and it hisses in fear. It backs away, eyes flicking between Dakota and the cross.

Cavendish waves the cross a bit. “Now shoo! Go away, please, we-we don’t want to start any more fights! We just want to leave!”

The vampire hisses again, much more _violently,_ at those words.

“We want to leave!” Cavendish repeats. “Go home! Stop bothering you! We’re sorry for trespassing, we won’t do it again!”

The vampire takes a swipe at him. Cavendish yelps, narrowly dodging the clawed hand.

“I think you’re just making it more angry!” 

“Yes, I can see that, Dakota!”

“Okay, ah, just-”

Dakota looks around, and spots a wall sconce _barely_ hanging on to a piece of broken wall. He tugs it free, and throws it at the vampire.

It’s caught by _another_ vampire who runs right up just in the nick of time.

“Oh, great,” Dakota says, throwing his hands out. “More of them! Let’s just have a talk for a minute and try to work out- _RUN!”_

He and Cavendish make a break for it. The vampires follow.

Dakota ends up taking the lead, taking any twist or turn he can to try and lose them, all the while looking back to make sure Cavendish is still behind him.

Eventually they come to another locked door. Dakota wastes no time slamming into it, getting himself and Cavendish inside, and slamming it shut.

This time, there’s a cross _already_ nailed into the wall, the nails rusted and weathered. Put there a long time ago, by someone desperate and in hiding, not unlike the two men now occupying the room.

“How... how did that find us that fast?” Cavendish pants.

“It _is_ their house,” Dakota says, sitting down on the floor. He buries his head in his hands. “Oh, I _really_ don’t feel good. I... I think to lay down a minute. Just... ow.”

“What hurts?”

“My head. Pounding of my own heart is hurting my ears. And my eyes hurt. My teeth. My neck. _Everything.”_

He takes off his tracksuit jacket, bunching it up into a pillow and paying his head on it. He itches at the scratch on his neck again, making a face. “I think it might actually be infected.”

“Oh, no.”

“Yeah, it’s all... warm-ish.”

Cavendish sighs, sitting down. “Is this what this journey is going to be? Narrow escapes into locked rooms that just so happen to be protected? _Why_ are there even so many crosses in a vampire mansion?”

“Maybe before it was a vampire mansion, it was a normal one.”

“So why wouldn’t the people just _leave?”_

Dakota shrugs, wincing. “Maybe that weird wall in the basement.”

“... You’re right! What if _that_ is the reason this interior makes no sense, and is so impossibly large? And what if that’s what caused the vampires to be in the first place? Is it magic, or could it be _alien?_ Or perhaps-”

Dakota groans, pressing his hands against his ears. “I’m sorry Cav but if I don’t get some quiet my head might actually explode.”

“O-oh. Right.”

Cavendish goes quiet, and tries to convince himself the slight blanching of Dakota’s face is just because of the headache, and nothing more.


End file.
